Literature, Politics and Law in Renaissance England

Forthelasttwentyyears,newhistoricismhasencouragedtheanalysisofRenaissanceliterarytextsasperformancesofpowerandsubjection.ButtherehasbeennocriticaldebateabouthowthespecificworkingsofEnglishjuridicalpowerandknowledgemightrelatetoliteraryandtheatricalforms.ThiscollectionisthefirstofitskindtoattemptamoredetailedanalysisofthecomplexinterdependenciesoflegalandliterarydiscoursesinRenaissanceEngland.TheessaysinthiscollectionapproachkeytopicsincurrentdebatesinRenaissanceliteratureandculturefromnewanddazzlinglyilluminatingvantagepoints.FeaturinghereareessaysontheunconsciousspiritualrepressionsoftheEnglishcommonlaw;relationsbetweenauthorship,censorship,treasonandthecommonlaw;collusionsbetweenlawandmasculinityintheatre;legaldiscoursesofhomicideandsuddenanger;women'svoicesintherevolutionarydiscoursesoflegalcitizenship.ContributorsincludePeterGoodrich,AlanStewart,SueWisemanandDavidColcoughamongstothers,andtheseexcitingoriginalessayswillbeofinteresttoallstudentsandscholarsofRenaissanceliteraryandculturalstudies.